When It Comes to Education, More Is Not Always Better!

Cambridge, MA -The National Science Foundation has awarded a $3 million
grant to Harvard University for a four-year national study of college
science students. This study, to be carried out by the Harvard-Smithsonian
Center for Astrophysics, will be to determine which methods of
teaching science in high school best prepare students for college
science classes.

A previous study of high school practices for science teaching by Sadler
and Tai yielded surprising results that challenged prevailing beliefs.
They found that physics students, whose high school classes covered
fewer topics, performed better in college physics courses than students
who had covered many topics. The students who covered fewer topics may
have benefited from the additional time spent focusing on the chosen
topics in greater detail.

Sadler said, "Teachers who try to improve students' conceptual
understanding by reducing the number of topics they cover are
very excited about our work. It shows that more is not always better."

The goal of this new study is to aid high school science teachers
in identifying materials and teaching methods that have the biggest
impact on college learning in science. National surveys have shown that
over 95 percent of high school teachers have an explicit emphasis on
preparing their students to succeed in college science.

"Teachers hold a wide range of beliefs about the best ways to prepare
students for success in college science," explained Sadler. "Our
methods gather evidence that supports or refutes these views."

For this study, the researchers will examine how well 24,000 college
students at 40 schools perform in first-year biology, chemistry, and
physics courses. Sadler and Tai plan to examine connections between how
students perform in their college science courses and how they were
taught in high school science courses.

Ideally, high school students who are better prepared for college
science courses will be more likely to take such courses and succeed in
them.

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Harvard College
Observatory form the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA).
Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, CfA scientists study the
physical characteristics and evolution of the universe.

For more information, contact:

David Aguilar, Director of Public Affairs
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
(617) 495-7462daguilar@cfa.harvard.edu